Matches to Make After UFC Fight Night 30

No one can argue with the early returns on Lyoto
Machida at 185 pounds.

Machida knocked out Reign MMA’s Mark Munoz
with a first-round head kick in the UFC Fight Night 30 main event
on Saturday at the Phones 4U Arena in Manchester, England. “The
Dragon” felled his training partner 3:10 into round one, as he
entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division in
dramatic fashion.

Munoz never seemed comfortable against the former 205-pound
titleholder. Machida softened “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” with
well-placed body kicks and then fired upstairs, his shin finding
its intended mark. Munoz crumpled where he stood, and though not
completely unconscious, he was dazed enough for referee Leon
Roberts to intercede on his behalf. A two-time NCAA All-American
wrestler at Oklahoma State University, Munoz did not attempt a
takedown in the bout and failed to land a single strike against the
elusive Brazilian.

Machida becomes an instant contender at 185 pounds, a division the
35-year-old karateka had long avoided in order to dodge a potential
matchup with longtime friend Anderson
Silva. However, Silva’s stunning defeat to Chris
Weidman at UFC 162 altered the middleweight landscape. Machida
carries with him one of the stronger resumes in the UFC, with wins
over Dan
Henderson, Ryan Bader,
Rashad
Evans and Mauricio
Rua. Add Munoz to the list.

In terms of what the immediate future holds for Machida, perhaps a
middleweight title eliminator with Ronaldo
Souza is in order. “Jacare” last appeared at UFC Fight Night 28
in September, when he stopped Yushin Okami
on first-round punches in Brazil. Souza, 33, has rattled off five
consecutive wins, pairing improved standup with his otherworldly
grappling skills.

Munoz, meanwhile, still holds a seat at the top 10 table in the
middleweight division. The 35-year-old had won five of his previous
six fights entering his ill-fated encounter with Machida. He was
originally scheduled to meet Michael
Bisping before “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner withdrew
from the headliner with a serious eye injury.

There is no shortage of potential opponents for Munoz at 185
pounds. Look no further than Costas
Philippou, the heavy-handed Cypriot who saw his five-fight
winning streak snapped in a disappointing unanimous decision loss
to Tristar Gym representative Francis
Carmont at UFC 165 on Sept. 21.

In the aftermath of UFC Fight Night 30 “Machida vs. Munoz,” here
are four other matchups that ought to be made:

Jimi Manuwa
vs. Rafael
Cavalcante-Igor
Pokrajac winner: The alluring Manuwa remains
undefeated as a professional mixed martial artist, but his last two
foes -- Cyrille
Diabate and Ryan Jimmo --
have exited the Octagon with what appeared to be non-contact leg
injuries. Jimmo was the latest Manuwa opponent to leave the cage
with a limp. As the former Maximum Fighting Championship
titleholder backed away in retreat, his leg gave way and resulted
in an anticlimactic second-round finish. While Manuwa has lived
something of a charmed life of late, no one can deny his
frightening physical tools or the results they have generated.
“Feijao” and Pokrajac will lock horns at UFC Fight Night 32 on Nov.
9.

Jim Hettes
vs. Cole
Miller: Hettes was sensational in his return from a
13-month layoff, as he choked Scottish import Robert
Whiteford unconscious with a second-round triangle. The
promising AMA Fight Club representative ran circles around
Whiteford on the ground, ultimately landing the triangle choke.
Hettes, who rebounded from a disappointing defeat to Marcus
Brimage at UFC 152, has now secured 10 of his 11 career
victories by submission. American Top Team’s Miller also walked
away from UFC Fight Night 30 with a win, as he held off “The
Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 alum Andy Ogle for
a unanimous decision.

John
Lineker vs. Tim
Elliott-Ali
Bagautinov winner: Lineker can only be described as
enigma at this point, his considerable ability masked by his
inability to consistently make weight at 125 pounds. The former
Jungle Fight champion ripped through Phil Harris
in a little less than three minutes, incapacitating the English
judoka with a savage right hook to the solar plexus. Lineker, who
came in overweight for the third time in five UFC appearances, has
won 17 of his past 18 bouts. However, until he can regulate his
performance on the scale, no one will view him as a legitimate
title contender in the flyweight division. Elliott and Bagautinov
will collide at UFC 167 on Nov. 16.

Jessica
Andrade vs. Jessica
Eye: Three months after she looked overmatched against
Liz
Carmouche, Andrade was drawing comparisons to Brazilian legend
Wanderlei
Silva. The 22-year-old Brazilian prospect was equal parts
ruthless and flawless, as she abused former Cage Warriors Fighting
Championship titleholder Rosi Sexton
for 15 minutes. Andrade winged lefts and rights with ill intent,
and while she could not finish the well-respected veteran, her
performance was no less dominating. Eye made her promotional debut
at UFC 166, earning a split decision over former Strikeforce
champion Sarah
Kaufman.